After opening-round win, Ben Saunders looks for another masterpiece at Bellator 67

Ben Saunders takes the artist portion of his occupation literally, and he loves viewing the aftermath of his hands-on technique even after he exits the cage.

“I will admit I really do look at my opponents face and body as a canvas,” he told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) after providing a black and blue masterpiece in his opening-round victory over Raul Amaya in Bellator’s season-six welterweight-tournament this past week. “Not out of disrespect, I love to see my work. I would love a picture of a swollen eye the day after, when it’s probably at its worse.

“I go for the finish. I go for the kill. But I’m not looking to go anything past what the fight needs to take. But while we’re in there … you signed those papers. You’re trying to do the same to me. I’m just trying to do it to you first.”

While Saunders (13-4-2 MMA, 4-1 BFC) didn’t get the finish he was looking for at Bellator 63 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., he could take some solace in handing Amaya his first loss and also closing his left eye — though it’s doubtful a souvenir picture will come “Killa B’s” direction anytime soon.

“(I’m trying to) make you lose some teeth, break an orbital,” he said. “I’m trying to have people say, ‘Hey man, he has one of the best clinches in the game.’ I’m trying to uphold that (reputation).”

The 28-year-old Florida native — who posted a 4-3 mark during a two-and-half-year UFC campaign — gets his next shot to show off his Jeet Kune Do Concepts/muay Thai skills on May 4 at Bellator 67, when he faces Bryan Baker (17-3 MMA, 7-2 BFC) in the MTV2-televised tourney semifinals at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada.

“I saw a little of it live,” the 6-foot-3 Saunders said of the similarly structured Baker, who survived Carlos Pereira by split decision after a tough cut down from middleweight. “It seemed like they kind of made it a slow pace, both nullified each other. Maybe the weight-cut affected him. Maybe he didn’t have a lot in the gas tank.

“I know he’s a veteran of the sport. He’s been around a while, taken out some tough veterans. But I ain’t going to change my style up. It doesn’t matter to me what his style is, who I’m fighting against, taller, shorter, or what not. I’m coming in, coming in your face, and trying to win by whatever means necessary.”

That in-your-face attitude won Saunders lots of support when he took a late-notice fight against Jon Fitch at UFC 111, but it also likely cost him the Bellator season-five tourney title and accompanying $100,000 prize as Douglas Lima became the first fighter to ever finish Saunders when he clocked a forward-rushing Saunders in the second round.

“I’m really amped to get back in there and get one more,” said Saunders, who says despite the loss, this past year’s tourney was a valuable learning experience. “The biggest thing I took out of that was to realize what I’m doing in my camp, I’m doing right. And what I did in the fights, I’m doing correct – understanding one’s body, to be able to get through a tournament and realizing your mental strength.”

Saunders also says his time on “TUF 6″ helped mentally prepare him for any kind of challenge in any kind of format.

“Because I was on the reality show, I kind of already had a bit of an idea what it was like to be in the tournament,” he said. “Fighting four days later and four weeks later is a big difference, though. I said in interviews before, this was just a more professional version of that.

“You know when you’re fighting and who you’re fighting, as opposed to just having a day notice [while] they’re going to choose you, you have to cut your weight and what not.”

Equally important Saunders credits his coaches and teammates at American Top Team Orlando for pushing him at just the right pace.

“It’s hard to stay peaking for potentially three months,” he said. “To have good training partners and good coaches be able to see how you’re doing, how you’re feeling, and really not have teammates use you as a punching bag – that’s awesome.”

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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